One-handed cleaning apparatus for cleaning golf clubs during play

ABSTRACT

In an embodiment, a pair of golf pants may include a waistband and a pair of leg members. Each leg member may include an inseam, an outseam, a knee-level area, and an ankle-level area. Each leg member may extend from the waistband to the ankle area and may include a first material. The golf pants may further include a patch of a second material disposed on at least one of the leg members. The second material may be coarser than the first material of the leg members.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to golf equipment. More specifically, itrelates to cleaning apparatus for cleaning golf clubs during play.

2. Description of the Related Art

American golfers play nearly 500 million rounds of golf each year. Mostmodern golf courses incorporate a variety of terrains, including grass,dirt, and sand. As a result, the average golfer's clubs naturallyaccumulate dirt and other particulate matter throughout a round of golf.When a round is played following rainy weather or before morning dew hasevaporated, a golfer's clubs accumulate dirt and mud at an even morerapid rate. Small rocks may also become lodged in the grooves of a clubface. As a result, golfers frequently need to clean the faces of theirgolf clubs during play.

Existing cleaning apparatus include various types of towels and brushesthat inconveniently require a golfer to use both hands when cleaning aclub. More importantly, they require a golfer to break his or her golfstance. Often times, a golfer will not realize that a club is dirtyuntil the golfer has already approached the ball, taken the time toassume a golf stance, and stared down the shaft of the club towards theface.

Because golfers must assume a precise golf stance on a consistent basisin order to achieve success, many golfers invest up to a full minute ormore entering their golf stance and setting up their swing. After havingmade such an investment, having to break a golf stance, walk over to atowel or brush, clean the face of the club, reassume a golf stance, andrefocus on the ball can be frustrating for many golfers. Not only issuch a routine time-consuming, but it also forces a golfer to break hisor her rhythm. Even more problematic is the fact that a towel or brushmay not be readily available at certain holes. In those cases, thegolfer is forced to choose between striking the ball with a dirty clubface and ruining his or her clothes by using them as a makeshift wipingsurface. Because golf is a sport of precise angles, having dirt, mud, oreven small rocks lodged in the grooves of the club face negativelyimpacts the manner in which the club strikes the ball. As a result, adirty club face can turn a potentially great shot into a disappointingshank. In short, golfers need an improved cleaning device that allowsthem to a clean golf club without having to break their golfing stance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cleaning apparatus of the present invention provides for improvedportability of and accessibility to a golf club cleaning apparatusduring a round of golf. In some embodiments, the present invention maybe integrated directly into a pair of golf pants to form a specializedgarment. In other embodiments, the present invention may constitute astand-alone patch that may be quickly added to or removed from anexisting pair of golf pants. The cleaning apparatus is disposed on atleast one leg member of a pair of golf pants. For example, the cleaningapparatus may be disposed just below the knee-level area on the left legmember of a pair of golf pants worn by a right-handed golfer. Equippedwith the cleaning apparatus, the golfer may properly clean his or herclub face without having to break a golf stance. Namely, the golfer needonly use one hand to reach the club face over to his or her extended legand wipe the club on the cleaning apparatus. As a result, the golfer maymaintain a constant rhythm and avoid having to break his or her golfstance to go locate a towel or brush.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a front view of an exemplary pair of golf pants in accordancewith the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a rear view of the exemplary pair of golf pants of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is a side view of the exemplary pair of golf pants of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A is a front view of an exemplary golf club cleaning apparatus inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a front view of another exemplary golf club cleaningapparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2C is a front view of yet another exemplary golf club cleaningapparatus in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A one-handed cleaning apparatus for cleaning golf clubs during play isprovided. The cleaning apparatus of the present invention provides forimproved portability of and accessibility to a golf club cleaningapparatus during a round of golf. In some embodiments, the presentinvention may be integrated directly into a pair of golf pants to form aspecialized garment. In other embodiments, the present invention mayconstitute a stand-alone patch that may be quickly added to or removedfrom an existing pair of golf pants. The cleaning apparatus is disposedon at least one leg member of a pair of golf pants. For example, thecleaning apparatus may be disposed just below the knee-level area on theleft leg member of a pair of golf pants worn by a right-handed golfer.Equipped with the cleaning apparatus, the golfer may properly clean hisor her club face without having to break a golf stance. Namely, thegolfer need only use one hand to reach the club face over to his or herextended leg and wipe the club on the cleaning apparatus. As a result,the golfer may maintain his or her rhythm and avoid having to break hisor her golf stance to go find a towel or brush.

FIGS. 1A-1C show front, rear, and side views of an exemplary pair ofgolf pants in accordance with the present invention. In one embodiment,a pair of golf pants 100 may include a waistband 110 and a pair of legmembers 120. Each leg member 120 may include an inseam 130, an outseam140, a knee-level area 150, and an ankle-level area 160. Golf pants 100may be constructed using commonly known fiber, yarn, fabric, or garmentengineering techniques, such as sewing or carding. Golf pants 100 may bea variety of sizes and dimensions, with the selected size and dimensiondepending on various design considerations, such as the season in whichgolf pants 100 is intended to be worn and the size of the golfer. Golfpants 100 may be finished through wet processing to apply a variety offinishes, such as an anti-microbial finish, a wrinkle free finish, anaroma finish, an enzyme wash, a laser coating, or any number of otherfinished known in the art.

Each leg member 120 may be made from a first material and may extendfrom waistband 110 to ankle-level area 160. Golf pants 100 may alsoinclude a patch 170 of a second material disposed on at least one of legmembers 120. The second material may be coarser than the first material,or the second material may be more porous than the first material. Thesecond material may be capable of providing a cleaning or scrubbingservice without sacrificing the overall lightweight pants design thatmost golfers prefer. In various embodiments, the first material mayinclude cotton, polyester, spandex, or any other suitable material knownin the art, while the second material may include burlap, canvas,corduroy, wool, cellulose, foamed plastic, steel wool, velcro, or anyother suitable cleaning material known in the art.

Patch 170 may be disposed on either or both of leg members 120 dependingon the needs of the particular golfer using pants 100. For example, aright handed golfer will likely prefer that patch 170 be disposed on theleg member 120 oriented to his or her left while the golfer is wearingpants 100. A left handed golfer, on the other hand, will likely preferto have patch 170 disposed on the leg member 120 oriented to his or herright. Either location places patch 170 on the golfer's forward leg. Asa result, the golfer need only bring the face of club forward to reachhis or her front leg. Some golfers may prefer to pull the club close totheir bodies while cleaning the club. In such cases, patch 170 may bedisposed on the opposite leg member 170. In some embodiments, patch 170may be disposed on both leg members 120. Having patch 170 disposed onboth leg members 170 not only allows a pair of pants to suit either aright-handed or left-handed golfer, but it also provides twice as muchcleaning surface. Having multiple patches 170 is especially beneficialwhen playing on muddy or otherwise particularly dirty courses.

In operation, a golfer need only use a single hand to wipe a club faceon cleaning apparatus 100. Accordingly, the present invention allows agolfer to properly clean a club without having to break his or her golfstance, go search for a towel or brush, utilize two hands to clean theclub using the towel or brush, and reassume the golf stance. In doingso, the present invention spares golfers from a variety of disadvantagespresented by towels, brushes, and other golf club cleaning apparatusknown in the art. For example, golfers are less likely to becomefrustrated by dirty clubs when they need not break their rhythm or wastetime assuming, breaking, and then reassuming their golf stances to cleanthe clubs. Additionally, golfers may be less likely to misplace cleaningapparatus 100 because it is disposed on the very pair of pants thattravels with them.

FIGS. 2A-2C show front views of various exemplary golf club cleaningapparatuses in accordance with the present invention. In one embodiment,a golf club cleaning apparatus 200 includes a patch 210 of coarsematerial and an adhesive layer (not shown) disposed on the back of patch210. Patch 210 may be used on an existing pair of golf pants. Using theadhesive layer on the back of patch 210, a golfer may simply peel andstick cleaning apparatus 200 to an existing garment. The coarse materialmay include burlap, canvas, corduroy, wool, cellulose, foamed plastic,steel wool, velcro, or any other suitable cleaning material known in theart.

In some embodiments, patch 210 may also include a sponsor logo 220.Sponsor logo 220 may be embroidered, painted, screen printed, orimpressed into patch 210 using any other suitable method known in theart. Cleaning apparatus 200 may be smaller and more transportable than anormal golf towel or brush. As a result, a golfer may carry numerouscleaning apparatuses along during a single round of play. For example, agolfer may wish to display a first logo-embroidered cleaning apparatus230 during the first half of a round in accordance with a firstsponsorship agreement. The golfer may then wish to display a secondlogo-embroidered cleaning apparatus 240 during the second half of around in accordance with a second sponsorship agreement. Because variousembodiments of the present invention may be removed and replaced atwill, they may also be replaced to provide a new cleaning surface duringmuddy or otherwise particularly dirty playing conditions.

Additionally, cleaning apparatus 200 may be utilized on garments otherthan existing golf pants. For example, for golfers that prefer to weargolf shorts over golf pants, cleaning apparatus 200 may be applied tothe top of a golf shoe or even an ankle sock.

In operation, a golfer need only use a single hand to wipe a club faceon cleaning apparatus 200. Accordingly, the present invention allows agolfer to properly clean a club without having to break his or her golfstance, go search for a towel or brush, utilize two hands to clean theclub using the towel or brush, and reassume the golf stance. In doingso, the present invention spares golfers from a variety of disadvantagespresented by towels, brushes, and other golf club cleaning apparatusknown in the art. For example, golfers are less likely to becomefrustrated by dirty clubs when they need not break their rhythm or wastetime assuming, breaking, and then reassuming their golf stances to cleanthe clubs. Additionally, golfers may be less likely to misplace cleaningapparatus 200 because when it has been applied to the very pants thattravel around with them.

The foregoing detailed description of the technology herein has beenpresented for purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the precise formdisclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light ofthe above teaching. The described embodiments were chosen in order tobest explain the principles of the technology and its practicalapplication to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilizethe technology in various embodiments and with various modifications asare suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that thescope of the technology be defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pair of golf pants, comprising: a waistband; apair of leg members, each leg member including an inseam, an outseam, aknee-level area, and an ankle-level area, each leg member extending fromthe waistband to the ankle area and including a first material; and apatch of a second material disposed on at least one of the leg members,the second material being coarser than the first material of the legmembers.
 2. The golf pants of claim 1, wherein the first materialincludes polyester.
 3. The golf pants of claim 1, wherein the firstmaterial includes spandex.
 4. The golf pants of claim 1, wherein thepatch is rectangular in shape.
 5. The golf pants of claim 1, wherein thepatch is triangular in shape.
 6. The golf pants of claim 1, wherein thesecond material includes foamed plastic.
 7. The golf pants of claim 1,wherein the second material includes steel wool.
 8. The golf pants ofclaim 1, wherein the second material includes corduroy.
 9. The golfpants of claim 1, wherein the second material includes velcro.
 10. Thegolf pants of claim 1, wherein the patch further includes a sponsor logodisposed on the second material.
 11. The golf pants of claim 10, whereinthe sponsor logo is a golf sponsor logo.
 12. A golf club cleaningapparatus, comprising: a patch of coarse material; and an adhesive layerdisposed on the back of the patch.
 13. The golf club cleaning apparatusof claim 12, wherein the patch is rectangular in shape.
 14. The golfclub cleaning apparatus of claim 12, wherein the patch is triangular inshape.
 15. The golf club cleaning apparatus of claim 12, wherein thecoarse material includes foamed plastic.
 16. The golf club cleaningapparatus of claim 12, wherein the coarse material includes steel wool.17. The golf club cleaning apparatus of claim 12, wherein the coarsematerial includes corduroy.
 18. The golf club cleaning apparatus ofclaim 12, wherein the coarse material includes velcro.
 19. The golf clubcleaning apparatus of claim 12, wherein the patch further includes asponsor logo disposed on the coarse material.
 20. The golf pants ofclaim 19, wherein the sponsor logo is a golf sponsor logo.